Reunited
by TheReaperXSophie
Summary: A deep sadness had ran through Lisa when she had to say goodbye to her favourite teacher, Mr. Bergstrom. Ten years later, she starts her journey into adulthood, and a familiar face brightens her horizon.
1. Chapter One: First Steps

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. All characters belong to Matt Greoning (is that how you spell it?) Enjoy :) xx**

Reunited

Chapter One: First Steps

As the taxi-cab pulled up to the pavement, Lisa gazed up to the apartment building from the window, eyes wide with anticipation. A sign above the door read "Ratcliffe's Apartments". She cautiously got out of the vehicle, dragging her luggage with her, a green bag with a huge sticker, stating, "I Heart Learning". She rifled through her pocket for some money, then handed it to the cab driver.

"Thank you, sir," she chirped, as the driver merely grunted at her, snatching her money away. The vehicle wasn't hasty in it's departure; Lisa had just enough time to close the cab door before it whizzed away, leaving tyre marks on the road. Lisa sighed as she watched the cab drive away, then turned back to the building. This was to be her home from now on. Ten years she had patiently waited, going from assignment to assignment during her school years, going from phase to different phase during her teenage years, and now, she was finally eighteen, and ready to start university as she so wished for. She pushed open the door to the apartment building, pulling her luggage behind. She took a minute to observe the room she had just entered. A desk filled the entire back wall, the mahogany material shimmering in the sunlight. Behind the desk were many keys hooked up, one of which would soon be in Lisa's possession. Other than the desk, Lisa spotted a large filing cabinet, which she assumed was where the residents mail was kept. She then approached the desk, and was greeted by a middle-aged woman, whose greying hair was tied into a tail. The woman looked up from her book towards Lisa, pushing up her glasses, which were hiding most of her ageing face.

"Well hello there, doll," she exclaimed, revealing a toothy grin, "Are you perhaps a new resident?" Lisa nodded slowly.

"Awww, c'mon now, no need to be shy," the woman continued, "What's your name, missy?"

"It's Lisa. Lisa Simpson," Lisa answered.

"Lisa Simpson, let's see..." the woman began, quickly shuffling through many pieces of paper, "Ah yes! Here we are. Now then, you will be aboded in apartment 10D, up on the tenth floor."

"Thank you," Lisa replied, taking hold of the key the woman had handed to her.

"Oh, and one last thing," the woman said, "Welcome to Ratcliffe's!" Lisa nodded with an awkward smile, then made her way to the elevator. She stepped in, pressing the button for the tenth floor. While the elevator made it's slow ascent, Lisa's mind pondered to a scene earlier that day...

-XxX-

"Oh honey, I'm gonna miss you so much!" Marge whined, holding on to Lisa tightly, causing her to drop her luggage.

"C'mon Mom, I'm not going forever," Lisa wheezed, struggling to breathe in Marge's embrace, "And I'll come and visit you as much as I can."

"Damn right you'll visit us!" Marge exclaimed, finally releasing her daughter, letting her breathe. Heavy footsteps shook the doorway as Homer approached.

"Marge...I got my tie stuck in the waffle iron again," Homer moaned, head slightly bent for the weight of the waffle iron.

"Homer, please!" Marge sneered, "Your daughter is about to leave us for her new life as an adult. How did that happen?"

"I dunno, I was hungry," Homer mumbled, scratching his head. Lisa tutted, approaching her father. With delicate hands, she untied the garment from his neck, letting it drop to the floor.

"I'm gonna miss you, Dad," Lisa smiled, throwing her arms around him.

"I'll miss you too, sweetie," Homer replied, "Make Daddy proud...unlike the other one." All three sets of eyes turned to Bart, who was asleep, drunken body sprawled out on the sofa.

"Hmm, say goodbye for me when he eventually wakes up," Lisa sighed. She flinched as she felt a presence in front of her. She looked down to her younger sister.

"Bye bye, Lisa!" Maggie exclaimed, hugging Lisa's waist. Lisa smiled, tapping Maggie lightly on the head. A horn tooted as a taxi-cab pulled up alongside the house.

"I guess that's me then," Lisa smiled. She hugged each family member in turn, then got into the vehicle. As the car began to drive away, she waved goodbye, and kept waving until the Simpson household was nothing but a dot in the distance.

-XxX-

The elevator finally reached the tenth floor. The doors opened, and Lisa stepped out. She walked along the corridor until she came across a door with the sign "10D" on it. She placed the key in the hole, turning it until she heard a clicking sound, then pushed the door open. The apartment wasn't all that big, consisting only of a small kitchenette and an en-suite bathroom. The rest of the room was a lounge and bedroom in one, a double bed the main feature of the room.

"It's not much, but it'll do," Lisa smiled. She placed her bag on the bed, unzipped it, then starting places her things around the room, attempting to give the place a touch of character, one of the things being her giant Bleeding Gums Murphy poster, which she placed above her bed. She then took out her saxophone, her most precious possession, placing it against the wall. Her eyes looked to the window. The beating sun was now slowly disappearing behind the horizon.

_Think I'll go to bed after I've finished, _she thought to herself, _Then in the morning, I take my first steps into my adulthood..._


	2. Chapter Two: Don't I Know You?

Chapter Two: Don't I Know You?

The bells rang out through the empty corridors, signalising the end of the day. Almost immediately, the silence and the stillness of the atmosphere was broken, doors to classrooms bursting open, and the masses of eager students piling their way out. Monkey chatter from the guys, the gossip from the girls, the sighs of relief from lecturers and professors as they made their way out of the building, all desperate to get home. A particular group of girls weren't hasty in walking, and were chatting amongst themselves. Lisa happened to be with the group. Only a few hours ago she was the shy out-of-towner, and now she had made friends with a few girls she met during her studies.

"I'm just saying, I agree with the Marxist approach to religion rather than the Feminist approach," one girl stated, "It's more believable to be honest, the upper class exploiting it to make more money."

"Yeah, I totally agree," Lisa smiled, "Now that women have the right to become priests, we can no longer assume that men use religion to glorify their power over women."

The girls approached the inner-skirts of the city, the bustling streets filled with last minute shoppers. They came to a crossroads before stopping to say their goodbyes.

"So, Lisa," one of the group said, a confident girl with fiery red hair, "What 'cha gonna do now?"

"Hmm, I was just thinking of grabbing a coffee, then heading back home," Lisa replied, "there's a lovely little cafe near my apartment building, I might look over my assignment there."

"Urgh, more uni stuff?" the girl tutted, lifting an eyebrow, "Look Lisa, uni is for uni stuff. Outside of uni is partying and shopping, okay? We're all heading over to my place. I'm doing manicures and make-up, then we're hitting the clubs with our fake ID's. Wanna join us?"

"No..that's okay," Lisa sighed, "I don't do clubbing..or drinking. Besides, I'm not twenty one yet, and neither are you!"

"Ha ha! Oh Lisa, you're such a goodie girl!" the girl teased, ruffling Lisa's hair, "well, whatever. Hope you enjoy your coffee, we'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"

Lisa nodded, then watched as the girls walked away, chatting and giggling to each other. She sighed, then began walking in the opposite direction. Despite the fact that she's made some friends that shared her liking to knowledge, Lisa still felt different. She knew she wasn't a normal girl. She didn't understand the need the students around her had for drinking and partying, and rolling into uni the next day with a hangover. She didn't understand the need they had for dating, why everyone had to be with everyone else, and why single people needed to be ridiculed. She didn't care for that. All she cared about was working hard for a career. It was a simple enough ambition, but still, Lisa had to ask herself,

_Why is it so bad that I want that? I don't hate them for wanting what they want, so why do they hate me just for wanting a career?_

Lisa finally came to the cafe, then pushed open the door. The cafe was fairly busy, many people ordering coffee, then packing themselves at tables and booths. She approached the counter, where a young acne-ridden man came to take her order.

"Hello there, can I help?" the man asked.

"Erm, yes, I'll take a mocha please," Lisa replied, "With cream instead of milk, if that's okay?"

"Sure. That comes to one dollar twenty-five, it'll be ready in a minute or two," the man smiled, then went to prepare the beverage. Lisa dug into her pocket for some cash, which she placed on the counter. Whilst waiting for her coffee, she observed the cafe, looking for a place to sit. It wasn't looking hopeful, many of the customers were using chairs for their belongings, and others were hogging the table tops with laptops and books. Her eyes finally found a window side booth with a free side, the other side taken by a customer consumed within their newspaper.

"Here's your mocha, ma'am," the man said, handing the cup to Lisa.

"Thank you," Lisa smiled, then made her way to the booth. The other customer didn't seem to notice her presence.

"Erm, excuse me?" Lisa asked cautiously, "This side is free, do you mind if I sit here?"

"No, go ahead," the customer said. Although muffled from the newspaper, Lisa discovered that the speaker was male, and with that, sat down with her coffee. She took a sip, contemplating the taste of the mocha, the richness of the chocolate with the sweetness of the cream. She then took a book from her bag and placed it on the table. She flicked through until she found her latest assignment, then began reading aloud what she had written so far.

"Discuss the arguments between different social groups and their approach to religion, by Lisa Simpson," Lisa read out proudly, "Different social groups have different ideas and arguments regarding religion. For instance, while Functionalists believe religion is used to bring a society together, Marxists would argue that religion is merely a tool used by the upper class to extort their power of the working class. It has become apparent that most of the social groups believe that religion is used negatively, and therefore..."

"Ahh, Sociology," the man opposite Lisa remarked, "I loved studying that when I was in university. I didn't realise it was still so popular."

"Oh yes, it interests me," Lisa answered, looking up from her book. The man was still hiding behind his newspaper, "Erm, forgive me for saying, mister, but your voice sounds very familiar. I'm from out of town though, it must just be a coincidence."

"Ha ha, I don't think so, Lisa Simpson," the man chuckled, finally putting down his newspaper. Lisa's eyes widened in realisation, blinking as she recognised the man sat in front of her.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, "Don't I know you?"


	3. Chapter Three: Reunited

Chapter Three: Reunited

"Mr. Bergstrom!" Lisa exclaimed, desperately trying to force down the squeal that was forming within her throat, "Is it really you?"

"Ha ha, indeed it is," Mr. Bergstrom replied, his husky voice creating nostalgia in Lisa's mind, "It's nice to see you again, Miss Simpson. How is my -" Before letting him finish his sentence, Lisa had sprung up from her seat, swiftly moved around the table and flung her arms around him, clutching him tightly to her chest. For a blissful moment, she stayed clinging on to her favourite teacher, until realising what she had just done. She abruptly released him, slowly backing away as a blush began to mist over her face.

"I-I'm so sorry! I, erm..." Lisa managed to blurt out through her embarrassment, "It's, er, it's just so nice to see you! I never thought I'd see you again...oh gosh, I'm just really sorry..."

"It's alright, Lisa," Mr. Bergstrom assured, after the initial shock of a young girl throwing herself at him, "Not the reaction I was expecting, truth be told, ha ha. Anyway, as I was saying, how is my favourite student doing?"

"Ohh.." Lisa mused, a hint of proudness in her voice, at still being his favourite student, "Well, I got into uni! Yeah, studying Sociology..oh, but I guess you already got that, heh heh. Erm, I moved outta Springfield, and I'm living here now, just down the street actually. Ratcliffe's, if you know it?"

"Yes, I pass it every now and then," Mr. Bergstrom replied.

"So...yeah, that's it I guess," Lisa stated, scratching her head awkwardly, "And erm, how's my favourite teacher doing?" Contrary to his previous cheery self, Mr. Bergstrom sighed deeply, letting his brown eyes drop from Lisa's gaze.

"I'm afraid you won't like this, Lisa," he stated sadly, "I'm not a teacher anymore."

"What?" Lisa screeched, a little too loudly. She turned her head to see a few of the cafe customers now gawping in her direction. She slowly sank into her seat. "You're not a teacher anymore?" she continued, this time in a hushed voice, "But..how? You love teaching, I could tell you did! What could possibly have -"

"Ssh, shh," Mr. Bergstrom soothed, placing a hand on Lisa's shoulder to silence her, "No, I'm not a teacher anymore. As you know, I moved out of Springfield to teach elsewhere. And for a while, I put up with it. But the other schools, the other students...they weren't like you, Lisa."

"Like me?" Lisa questioned.

"They didn't appreciate knowledge like you do," he continued, "When I taught you, I thought I had finally found students who wanted to learn. I thought that maybe, other students would be like you. But they weren't. They messed around during my lessons. They rejected any sort of education I gave to them. And at the end of it all, they failed their 'end of term' exams. And who did the parents blame? Not their offspring, but me. Me, the very person who wanted them to do well, the very person who gave them knowledge, but I was rejected." His fist hit the table with an almighty thud, causing Lisa to flinch.

"I couldn't take it anymore," he seethed, "I wasn't going to put up with that anymore. Not when I knew deep down, I was a good teacher. So I handed in my notice, left behind my teaching career, and now I work as a cashier at the bank."

Lisa sat dumbfounded at what Mr. Bergstrom had just told her. A part of her felt crushed, almost betrayed.

_My favourite teacher...isn't a teacher anymore..._

"Mr. Bergstrom..." she managed to say, "I'm..really sorry to hear that.."

"That's another thing. You don't have to call me Mr. Bergstrom anymore. Now I'm not a teacher, it isn't necessary. I have a first name, if you would like to hear it," Mr. Bergstrom stated.

"Okay, sure," Lisa replied.

"It's Charles," he said, "Charles Bergstrom."

"Charles.." Lisa repeated, then giggled to herself, "Sorry, but that's gonna take some getting used to. You'll always be Mr. Bergstrom to me."

Charles smiled, as did Lisa. A moment passed as an awkward silence fell upon them. Lisa's eyes lit up as she remembered something. She turned to her bag beside her, then began ruffling through it. A small 'ah-hah' sounded as she found a small piece of paper. She unfolded the paper and read it's contents.

"I still have it," she explained, sliding the paper towards Charles, "I keep it with me always. If I ever lost it...I'd be distraught." Charles turned over the piece of paper to read what it said. In his own writing, 'You are Lisa Simpson'.

"Y-You kept it," he stammered.

"Yeah, just like I promised," Lisa smiled. Charles found Lisa's blue eyes and beamed. He placed a hand on her arm, gently stroking with his thumb. Lisa felt the heat of a blush once more, then turned to the window. She watched as the sky was stained with red, the sun now setting in the distance.

"Gosh, I didn't realise the time!" she exclaimed, gathering her things and standing up, "I should really get going!"

"Ohh, I see," Charles muttered, standing up himself, "Well, I could walk you home, if you wanted?"

"I would love that," Lisa replied, then walked towards the door, closely followed by Charles. As they walked, neither of them spoke. Just simply looked in the direction they were walking. A few times Lisa had wanted to talk, but nothing came to mind, so she stayed silent, knowing silence was better than pathetic small talk. They finally approached Ratcliffe's Apartments, and Lisa turned to Charles.

"So, Mr. Berg-er, I mean Charles," she spoke, "It was really nice speaking to you today. After that day, when I watched your train leaving Springfield...I assumed I'd never see you again. I'm glad I bumped into you."

"Likewise," Charles smiled, "Erm, this may seem a bit forward, but I can't possibly leave our acquaintance at this. This Friday...would you perhaps like to have dinner with me?"

"Yes!" Lisa blurted out, without so much as a thought as to what was just asked, "I mean, sure, dinner sounds nice. I'd like that."

"Well, great! There's a restaurant in the centre, it's called The China Palace...I'm sure you can guess what food they serve, ha ha. Six o'clock, Friday evening, is that okay?"

"That's perfect," Lisa nodded.

"Okay, I shall see you then. Goodbye for now, Lisa Simpson," Charles grinned.

"Hehe, goodbye, Charles Bergstrom," she giggled, then watched as he walked down the street. When he turned the corner, she quickly swung open the door to the building, then headed for the stairs.

_Skip the elevator...too happy for the elevator,_

With a wide grin on her face, Lisa ran frantically up the stairs, up all ten floors, then ran through the corridor before skidding to a halt outside her apartment. She fiddled with her key, desperately trying to open the door, then darted her way in, shutting the door behind her. Flinging her bag to one side, she lunged to the phone, quickly dialling and waiting for an answer on the other side.

"Sherri! Or Terri, whatever. Listen, you'll never believe who I just ran into...!"


	4. Chapter Four: Sorry, I Have A Date

Chapter Four: Sorry, I Have A Date

"Now, now, remember, ladies and gentlemen!" the female teacher spoke in a raised voice, trying desperately to be heard over the students rushing to the door, and the ringing bell which had signalised lunch, "I've arranged a mock exam for you tomorrow, so be sure to look over your notes thoroughly!"

The middle aged woman sighed, accepting the fact that her students were blatantly ignoring her. She observed the last of the students filing out, then approached Lisa, who, as always, was the last to leave her lecture.

"Very well done on the assignment, Miss Simpson," the teacher chirped, "A perfect 'A'. The first 'A' I've dished out this year, actually. It's obvious to me that you've put the effort in."

"Heh heh..I try," Lisa answered, twiddling her thumbs out of embarrassment, "It's just memorising, really."

"Nonsense. You're a fine student," the teacher smiled, before returning to her desk. Content with her compliment, Lisa gathered the rest of her things from her desk then hurried out towards the cafeteria. Although a fairly large hall, the cafeteria was packed with many students and lecturers ordering food, then barging in front of each other to secure themselves a seat. This certainly wasn't the typical college cafeteria, where different stereotypes were allocated a different table. You just sat wherever you could, be that with friends, people who turned their nose up at you, even with teachers. Lisa stood in the middle of the hall, scanning the room for even a glimpse of emptiness.

"Lisa! Hey, Lisa!" Lisa heard a voice calling her, then turned around to see a red-haired girl frantically waving her arms about, "Lisa, quick! There's a spot here!" Lisa squeezed her way through the occupied chairs, trying desperate not to hit people with her bag, then sat down at a table next to the red-haired girl.

"Thanks, Lynette," Lisa smiled, taking out her lunch, "I was afraid I was eating outside...again.."

"Yeah, well, no more eating outside for you!" Lynette grinned, who seemed to be helping herself to miscellaneous bits of food from everyone else on the table, "Come find me at lunchtimes, I'll guarantee you a seat." Lisa gave an uncertain nod as Lynette helped herself to an apple from her lunch-box.

"So, Lisa..or should I say Little Miss Perfect A," a blonde girl stated, sitting on the lap of a black-haired boy rather than an actual seat, "Seriously, how did you do it? Do you have like, photographic memory or something?"

"Ha ha, no, of course not," Lisa chuckled, taking a bite out of her sandwich, "It's just revising, you know. Also adding your own opinions racks up the grade, too."

"Ooh, no, don't have the brain capacity for that!" Lynette exclaimed, now taking a bar of chocolate from the blonde girls lunch, "I can't think up my own opinions on Sociology _and _party! ..that's a point, how was your coffee, Lisa?"

"It was fine, thank you," Lisa answered sternly, ignoring Lynette's attempt at sarcasm, "Better than expected, actually."

"Sure, okay.." Lynette laughed, slapping Lisa hard on the back, "Well, you totally missed out last night. It. Was. Mental!"

"Was it really.." Lisa sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Damn right it was!" Lynette exclaimed, now giddily bobbing up and down in her seat, "Well, first we got thrown out of Tainted Sanity because Rob over there," Lynette took a moment to eye up the black-haired boy, "..Got into a fight with one of the doormen. So then we had to go over to Dance Manic...not as good as Tainted Sanity, but still, a club is a club. To which we ended up all getting very drunk, danced with anything with a pulse then somehow managed to walk home and collapse in a heap on my living room floor!"

"Hmm.." Lisa mused. She couldn't help but feel disappointed in Lynette. For a girl who had a genuine spark for knowledge, she let the unruly temptations of young adulthood capture her. Lisa pierced her eyes together. She sensed that there used to be quiet, disciplined girl in Lynette, a girl who would have been as focused on her studies as Lisa was, if not for an unknown factor. Lisa began to let her thoughts wander.

"Hey! Snap out of it," Lynette sniggered, clicking her fingers in Lisa's face, "I just asked if you wanted to come out with us next time...unless you had another coffee date."

"Gee..I dunno, I like to focus on my studies," Lisa said meekly, trying to word a nicer way of saying no.

"Don't worry! It won't interfere with your studies," Lynette cooed, ruffling Lisa's hair, a trait which was becoming very common, "We're going on a night where we don't have university the next day. And it won't be as mad as last night, I promise. We're going to a restaurant for some food, then we'll probably go to the bar for some drinks...no dancing though, I need a rest..."

Lisa cocked her head to the side, a look of uncertainty in her eyes.

"C'mon, Lisa," Lynette egged, fluttering her eyelashes childishly, "This Friday. What d'ya say?"

"This Friday?" Lisa exclaimed, a hint of relief in her voice, "Sorry, I have a date." An unnerving feeling crept upon Lisa's skin as a number of sets of eyes stared in her direction. She couldn't help but feel a little smug at their reaction.

_Yeah, that's right. The nerd got herself a date._

"A date? Wow," the blonde-haired girl mused, "That's not very you, Lisa. I thought university came before anything else."

"Yeah, but this guy's special," Lisa smiled, "It was by mere chance that I met him."

"So...details, details!" Lynette urged, shimmying her chair nearer to Lisa.

"Well, he's an older guy," Lisa started, proudly raising an eyebrow at the 'oohs' she was receiving, "And he's really smart, he likes Sociology as much as I do! Heh heh, he's called Charles."

"Charles?" Lynette questioned, wrinkling her nose, "One of my ex's was called Charles. Nasty piece of work. I'm pretty sure yours is nicer though." Lisa beamed, "Where's he taking you?"

"A restaurant in the centre of town. The China Palace, I think he called it," Lisa answered.

"Shut up!" Lynette exclaimed, placing her hands on her cheeks in a 'over-the-top' fashion, "That's where we're gonna go eat too!"

"Oh, really..?" Lisa asked, her heart sinking a little.

"Yeah, baby!" Lynette laughed, slapping Lisa's back again,

_Okay, first it was just annoying, now it's starting to hurt..._

"..we dunno when though, we haven't set a time. Who knows, we might run into you!"

"Heh heh, it's a possibility," Lisa smiled weakly. A bell began to ring through the cafeteria hall, signalising the end of lunch. Almost immediately, every person in the room stood up and began pushing through the doors to their next study rooms.

"Guess it's back to work then," Lynette sighed, gathering up her things, "I'll see you later, Lisa."

"See ya, Lynette!" Lisa chirped, standing up then leaving for her next lecture.


	5. Chapter Five: The Date

Chapter Five: The Date

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Lisa began to bite on her nails nervously, her eyes sweeping over to the clock. Five thirty. A great weight plummeted down in her stomach, cutting the butterflies down in their prime.

"Okay...guess I'll get ready, heh heh.." Lisa stated awkwardly, having to encourage herself to start her preparations. With a sigh, she stood up, then made her way to the wardrobe on the other side of the room. Filing through her clothes, she continued to chew on her nails, trying to decide on an appropriate date outfit. After an array of frowning at her clothes, her mind wondered to a 'suggestion', that Lynette had mentioned earlier that day..

_"Well, if it's an older guy, you should definitely slut it up! Low tops, short skirts, you honestly can't go wrong! And...wow, Lisa..want me to sort out your hair...?"_

Lisa scrunched up her nose, ignoring Lynette's advice. After more filing, she finally found a suitable outfit, then brought it out to the light to take a proper look. She had chosen a light blue button shirt, with a black pencil skirt.

_Sensible, elegant, with just that hint of sexiness, _she smiled.

Content with her choice, Lisa began to remove her casual clothes, crumpled and warm from the days wear, and let them drop to the floor. She took hold of the shirt, slipped it on, then slowly began to button it up, purposely leaving the top two un-done. She then stepped into the skirt before hoisting it up to her waist, zipping it up. When her skirt was in place, she then tucked in her blue shirt, bringing more definition to her hour-glass figure.

_Make-up time... _Lisa sighed, sitting down at her dresser.

She had never been one for make-up, especially since the majority of the products were tested on animals. Still, Marge had insisted the specific make-up set she had bought for her daughter was perfectly innocent, so Lisa accepted it, whilst still remaining sceptical. Whilst wanted to present herself to Charles, she didn't want to end up looking like a clown at the end of the night, so she kept the make-up to a minimum; a touch of blue eyeshadow, a pale-based lipstick, slight blusher on her cheeks. For a moment, she sat and pondered on which jewellery would go nicely with her outfit, before placing her pearls around her neck, the same pearls she had worn throughout her entire life. Lisa stood up from her dresser to look herself up and down in her full-length mirror.

_Perfect, _Lisa thought, before looking down at her bare feet, _Hmm, now for shoes..._

She dug out the only two pairs of shoes she actually owned; a pair of black converses and a pair of blue flats. Lisa frowned, aware of the fact that neither pair suited what she was wearing in the slightest. She kicked the shoes out of the way then slumped down onto the bed, kneeling her head in her hands.

"Darn, and it was going so well..." Lisa exhaled, knitting her eyebrows in disgust. Now what? She couldn't exactly go bare foot, but her outfit seemed so perfect to have to change again. She closed her eyes, trying to think over her options.

_I could borrow some shoes, I guess, but who from? Certainly not Lynette, I'll end up meeting Charles in six-inch pin-point stilettos I can hardly walk in. Urgh, I wish Mom was here, she had loads of shoes..._

"Oh yeah!" Lisa exclaimed, almost slipping off the bed as she suddenly remembered. She rushed to the wardrobe again, thrust open the doors and began rifling through bags and boxes at the back. She found a purple box, taking it from the wardrobe and placing it on the bed. She then opened it's lid, to reveal a pair of passion red shoes with a two-inch heel. As she took them from the box and placed them on each of her feet, she thought about Marge, and how she had given Lisa the shoes days before she had left for university. Lisa took a minute just walking around the room; although not a particularly high pair, she wasn't used to wearing heels, and decided she had to somewhat master 'heel-walking' before making her way out.

"That'll do, I think," Lisa spoke with a breathy laugh, looking over to the clock. It now read quarter to six, "Okay...time to go, heh heh." Taking one last look at herself in the mirror, she picked up her handbag then walked out of her apartment, locking it behind her. She pressed the button on the wall, then waited patiently for the elevator.

_I'm not risking the stairs in these shoes, _she smirked to herself.

The elevator finally arrived, then Lisa stepped in, pressing the button for it to descend. As the elevator slowly made it's way to the ground floor, Lisa's stomach tied itself into a tight knot.

_Urgh, behave stomach, I'm supposed to be eating soon..._

The doors opened to reveal the ground floor, and Lisa stepped out cautiously, making her way out of the apartment building. The evening air was fairly humid, and the sky was near enough clear, apart from a few clouds scattered about the violet backdrop. As Lisa began to make her way to the centre of town, the street-lamps started to flicker on, cars that drove past switched their head-lights on, and the curtains of near-by houses began to shut. For a while, Lisa fazed out, hearing nothing but her red heels clomping on the pavement every time she took a step forward. This wasn't exactly her first date, what with Milhouses' advances in the past, and her brief thing with Nelson, but still, a huge burden had lifted itself onto her shoulders, a great nervous weight that she couldn't simply shake off. She assumed her biggest worry with Charles was impressing him; this was her former teacher after all, a man of great intelligence, and she wanted desperately to maintain a look of intelligence herself. And what could they talk about? She couldn't stick to Sociology all night surely, so what else? Before she knew it, Lisa arrived at The China Palace restaurant, coming out of her daze when the smell of freshly cooked noodles struck her. She looked up at the building, seeing that the outside architecture had an oriental look about it, painted brightly with red and gold. She then noticed a man, standing with his back to her near the entrance. His curly black hair was an instant give-away, so with a confident exhale, Lisa walked towards Charles.

"Erm, Charles?" she managed to say, gently tapping him on the shoulder. At the sound of Lisa's voice, Charles instantly turned around, greeting her with a content smile. He had certainly made the effort to look presentable for Lisa; wearing a black and white pinstripe shirt, black trousers, and holding a black dinner jacket over his shoulder. Lisa's eyes widened as a blush began to creep upon her cheek.

_Oh... My...Wow..._she thought. Even her conscience had trouble forming a sentence.

"Ah, hello there, Miss Simpson," Charles grinned, taking a moment to observe Lisa's choice of clothing, "My, my...Lisa, you look incredible."

"Oh...th-thanks.." Lisa stuttered, her blush now a deeper red, "You, erm...you don't look bad yourself...I like suits.."

"Ha ha, that's flattering, thank you," Charles smiled, scratching his head, "Well, shall we..?" He extended his elbow out Lisa, which she took dainty, then they made their way into the restaurant. The oriental theme continued to the buildings interior, with many red lanterns hanging from the ceiling. As they admired the decorations, a young Chinese man approached them.

"Hello there! Welcome to The China Palace!" the man greeted cheerfully, "Name, please?"

'It's Bergstrom," Charles nodded, as the young man checked a small book.

"Ah yes! This way, please," the man grinned, leading them through to the restaurant. The restaurant seemed fairly mellow, only a few tables mere accompanied, and all seemed to be groups of two, as Lisa and Charles were. The Chinese man pointed a table out to them, to which Charles pulled out Lisa's chair for her. She sat down hesitantly, then Charles sat down opposite her. The man then handed them both menus, bowed slightly, then moved on to the next customers.

"Nice, isn't it?" Charles commented, admiring the restaurant's decor, "I actually went to China during my gap year."

"Really? That's amazing!" Lisa replied, "I never got to travel...all my saving was for uni, I couldn't afford it.."

"That's a shame. I dunno, maybe I'll have to take you..." Charles joked, finding Lisa's hand across the table.

"Oh, Charles! Don't joke about things like that!" Lisa gasped, though deep down she hoped he meant it. She looked down to see Charles entwining his fingers with hers. Somewhat shocked, she hid behind her menu, hoping that he hadn't seen her prudeness towards it.

"Orders, please?" The young man had returned, and quietly, his thick Chinese accent making Lisa jump.

"Oh! Ha ha...I'll have the egg noodles, with mushroom rice and vegetable spring rolls, please," Lisa replied quickly, a tad embarrassed at her flinching towards the man.

"Oh, of course, you're vegetarian," Charles stated, "Actually, that sounds lovely, I'll have the same, please." The young man nodded before departing.

"The same? You didn't have to do that...you could have anything you wanted, I wouldn't have minded you eating meat, it's fine, and -" Lisa began to ramble, before Charles silenced her, taking Lisa's other hand.

"Lisa.." he began, a look of sincereness in his dark eyes, "Well, firstly...I've missed you, quite a lot actually. The other day, at the cafe, you said you were worried that you'd never see me again. If I'm honest, I worried about that too. You were my best student, it felt a shame if I was only to know you for that short period of time." He took a moment to look at Lisa's reaction, whose blue eyes were locked into his, "Then we found each other again...Lisa, I can't believe how much you've grown up. The last time I saw, you were but a sweet little girl. And now, you've grown into an intelligent, beautiful young woman.."

"Ohh..." Lisa slurred, this time making no attempt to hide her blush.

"I know, it's corny, but it's true," Charles continued with a smirk, "Anyway, what I'm trying to say is...well, although we haven't seen each other for a while, we're very much alike, and-"

"Hey, Lisa!" Lisa's heart skipped a beat as she heard a familiar voice behind her. She looked around to see Lynette, along with the rest of her group, piling into the restaurant.

"Ohh..." Lisa sighed as they made their way towards her.

"Ha ha, friends of yours?" Charles asked.

"Yes...unfortunately.." Lisa replied, trying to make it sound like a joke. She straightened up as she felt Lynette's presence, flinching when Lynette leant down to put an arm around her.

"Looks like we found you!" Lynette sung, sticking her tongue out.

"Heh heh...yeah," Lisa chuckled awkwardly.

"Anyway, enough about you. Let's have a look at this older guy you pulled," Lynette teased, now looking in Charles' direction. Suddenly, Lynette straightened up, wide eyed, as if she recognised the man in front of her. Lisa knitted her eyebrows, then looked at Charles, whose expression matched Lynette's.

"It's you.." Both Charles and Lynette said, much to Lisa's confusion.


	6. Chapter Six: Raising Suspicion

Chapter Six: Raising Suspicion

Lisa's eyes flickered between those of Charles and Lynette, who were firmly staring at each other. The arm Lynette had around Lisa slowly retracted, which she then folded over her chest. A silence had settled over them, which Lisa was eager to break, but as she opened her mouth, someone had beaten her to it.

"Miss Lynette Thornton.." Charles stated, a look of guilt in his eye as he addressed the girl in front of him.

"...Bergstrom.." Lynette spat, her voice filled with hate. She gave a flick of her fire red hair before storming out of the restaurant, shoving her friends out of the way. Her group of friends muttered to themselves before following her outside. Lisa sat dumbfounded, questioning in her mind what the heck just happened. She once again went to speak, but again was interrupted as their food arrived.

"Ahh! Here's our food..good, I'm famished!" Charles exclaimed awkwardly as the food was placed before them. Lisa looked down at her food; the different smells and colours of her dish accompanied each other perfectly, creating a mouth-watering aroma. Even so, Lisa was confused-stricken, and her appetite -which wasn't exactly there in the first place- seemed to disappear. A stern look in her eyes, she looked up to Charles. His full attention seemed to be on his meal, his eyes firmly locked onto his food, avoiding any sort of eye contact with Lisa. Lisa sensed this, then began to eat, keeping her stare on him. The mixture of egg noodles and mushroom rice, which would normally taste exquisite, left a taste-less aftermath in Lisa's mouth. She watched as Charles nervously ran a hand through his thick locks, who was now fully aware that Lisa watching him like a hawk, analysing him like a hawk would a prey. A drawn out sigh escaped his lips.

"So. Are you going to tell me?" Lisa asked flatly when Charles finally graced her with some eye contact.

"I guess I don't have much of a choice," Charles replied, his usual cheery tone of voice now replaced with a solemn one, "Erm, how well do you know Lynette?"

"Quite well, I'd consider her my closest friend," Lisa answered, "Sure, our morals are very different, but I'm capable of putting that aside for our friendship."

"Okay, I see...how much as Lynette shared with you about her past?" Charles continued.

"Oh.." Lisa mused, "Erm...next to nothing actually. No, can't think of anything."

"Okay.." Charles sighed. He reached across the table for Lisa's hand, which she willingly let him take, "What I'm about to tell you...it may very well result in you having very different feelings towards me. About a year ago, I was teaching in the next city over from here. Lynette was one of my students there. For a while, it was all going okay, until..."

_Oh no...what the heck is he about to tell me...?_

"She started being an unruly student," he continued, "Messing around during class, missing assignments, generally making my teaching life a misery. Then one day, she went too far. During the lunch break, she broke into my classroom, and completely trashed the place. Shredded all my papers, painted all over my blackboard, even smashed some windows. I came back early from lunch and caught her straight in the act. And, well, as you can imagine, I was furious. And in my angered state...I expelled her."

"Expelled?" Lisa exclaimed, clamping a hand over her mouth as she realised how loud she was being, "..you expelled Lynette?"

"Yes...yes, oh gosh.." Charles muttered, burying his head in his hands, "It was the hardest thing I've had to do in my life...please Lisa, you've got to understand, I was fuming, I had no other choice. You can't just let a student go after they've devoured your working space. And not only that! When I questioned her, she just merely shrugged and tried to run off! That angered me too, and I just.."

"Ssh, it's okay," Lisa soothed, taking a firm grip of Charles' hand, "You're rambling, Charles. And I understand..if she really did that much damage, then like you said, what other choice did you have? You did what you had to do as a teacher. It's quite refreshing actually...most teachers now are just doormats, they don't take action if students don't behave, so, I dunno..I mean I'm not saying it's good that Lynette got expelled, but, erm.."

"Okay Lisa, now it's you that's rambling," Charles chuckled, letting a smile come to his lips, "So, this doesn't make you think any less of me?"

"Of course not," Lisa said, "Sure, it's different, I always assumed you were too nice to ever have to expel a student...but hey, heh heh."

"Well, thank you," Charles smiled, "Now, eat up, else it'll get cold." Lisa nodded, then attempted her meal again. This time, instead of being tasteless slush, her dish tasted divine, the rich flavours combining together perfectly.

"Mm, this is amazing," Lisa grinned, "Chinese food always tastes great, wherever you go. The food's good, I wish I could say the same about their policies..."

"Ha ha, I couldn't agree more," Charles laughed, "I take it you've delved into the Family And Household region of Sociology now?"

"Yes!" Lisa exclaimed, "But really, a One Child Policy...don't think I'd like living in China. I would like more of a choice when it comes to a family...Also, that puts so many children into adoption, but people don't want to adopt, it's a predicament!"

"It certainly is," Charles nodded, "I must say, Lisa, you really take your studies seriously...I like that very much.."

"Oh, well..." Lisa slurred, a sense of giddiness getting the better of her, "It's nothing really...some people see it negatively actually..not naming anyone in particular.."

"Well, I'm not 'some people', and I see it very positively," Charles answered, "To be honest, that strive you have for learning, for knowledge...I find it extremely attractive.." At his last word, Lisa very almost choked on a bite of spring roll, coughing loudly. As she came to, Charles couldn't help but laugh at Lisa's reaction, who had now been graced with a glowing red blush on her cheeks.

"Heh heh..." Lisa laughed, the tone filled with embarrassment, "Thank you..I never really saw it that way..thanks.." Charles nodded, pushing his now empty plate aside. Lisa scooped up the last of her rice before doing the same, wiping her mouth on a napkin, "Well, that certainly satisfied my stomach."

"Likewise. Dessert?" Charles asked.

"No no, I'm fine.." Lisa said, knowing full well that she would choke again, what with all the things Charles had been saying to her, "No, I'll have something later."

"Okay then, I shall walk you home," Charles smiled, leaving some money on the table as they stood up to leave. As they stepped outside the restaurant, Lisa began to shiver. The humidity of the evening had now been replaced by the night-time chill, giving the wind an iciness to it. With a lack of a jacket, Lisa wrapped her arms around herself, regretting now that she didn't bring one.

"Hmm, that won't do," Charles commented, observing Lisa in her chilled state. He took the jacket he was carrying and draped it over Lisa's shoulders, "I hope that helps." Lisa grasped the jacket and pulled it tighter around her.

"Thank you," Lisa replied. Charles held out his hand, which Lisa took eagerly, then they made their way to Ratcliffes. Lisa looked the night sky, and saw that the moon was at it's fullest, the lunar glow creating a haunting atmosphere. What were merely shadows looked like grotesque silhouettes, a near-by dog howling turned to angry wolves snarling. Gripping Charles' hand tighter, Lisa merely brushed it off. The darkness didn't scare her, not with Charles. She felt protected with him, she knew whilst they were walking together, nothing terrible would happen. She snapped out of it as they approached the entrance to Ratcliffes Apartments.

"Well, this is my stop," Lisa stated, turning the Charles, "Thank you for a lovely evening..despite some mishaps, I really really enjoyed myself."

"No Lisa, thank you," Charles replied, taking both of Lisa's hands, "This evening...I shared some things with you that I wouldn't normally. I was expecting the worse when I told you about..Lynette, but you understood. Because of this, I feel as though we're gotten closer, despite not seeing each other for such a long time. So...thank you, Lisa Simpson." In a swift movement, Charles let go of Lisa's hands, reached an arm around her waist, pulled her closer to him, and kissed her.

"Mm!" Lisa sounded as he kissed her, eyes wide. For a brief second, she considered resisting, but her heart got the better of her, so she kissed back. As they both retracted, Lisa took a minute to assure herself that what just happened, really did happen.

"Er.." Lisa slurred, "..wow, erm..I certainly wasn't expecting that, heh heh..."

"Ha ha, I'd ask if it was too forward, but I think you answered that for me," Charles winked. He rifled through his trouser pocket until he found a card, then handed it to Lisa, "My number. I think you can pretty much guess after that, but I want to see you again."

"O-of course!" Lisa exclaimed, taking the card, "And I want to see too, really really soon!" She slipped off the jacket and handed it back to Charles.

"Okay then, you just give me a call, and I'll come straight away, "Charles chuckled, placing his jacket on, "Until then, Miss Lisa Simpson." He kissed her once more before turning and walking away. Lisa stood gawping for a second before releasing a happy sigh. She looked down at the card Charles had given her.

_Am I...dating Mr. Bergstrom? ...wow..._

With a smile she burst her way through the door to Ratcliffes, eager to get inside away from the night chill. Before walking towards the elevator, she noticed a piece of paper sticking out of the filing cabinet, the one with the residents mail. She approached it, knitting her eyebrows as she realised the paper came from a drawer named "10D". Whatever it was, it was for her. She took hold of the paper, unfolded it, then read it's contents. In scrawly, capital letters, it read,

"_WE NEED TO TALK_

_-FROM LYNETTE"._


	7. Chapter Seven: Haunting Truth

Chapter Seven: Haunting Truth

"Hey! Lynette!" Lisa called as she caught a glimpse of red hair through the crowd of students. It was lecture cross-over as Lisa made her way through the packed corridor, occasionally being knocked into the lockers by eager students pushing their way past her. As she walked, Lisa took Lynette's note out of her pocket, and read it's contents once more,

_"WE NEED TO TALK_

_-FROM LYNETTE"_

Lisa shook her head. She knew exactly what Lynette wanted. This was the man that threw her out of school after all, and she didn't want Lisa dating him. Simple. But still, Lisa felt she had to at least hear her out, hear Lynette's side of the story. She finally approached her, tapping her on the shoulder to get her attention.

"Hey, Lynette," Lisa greeted to the back of Lynette's head, "You wanted to talk to me?" Lynette let out an angered sigh, keeping her back to Lisa. She turned her head slightly, acknowledging Lisa's presence, then strutted away. Lisa watched as Lynette headed towards the girls bathroom, not once checking to see if Lisa was following her.

_Erm, am I supposed to follow...? _Lisa mused.

As Lynette approached the door to the bathroom, she spun her head round to Lisa, and gestured with an angered brow for Lisa to follow. Lisa obediently followed, slowly opening the bathroom door.

"Shut it behind you," Lynette stated flatly, facing the glazed window. Lisa nodded, closing the door firmly, then stood awkwardly, awaiting Lynette's words. Her eyes fell to Lynette's hands, which were clamped into tight fists. Lisa swallowed hard.

"Why him?" Lynette snapped, her ferocious tone echoing through the bathroom, "Out of the millions, and millions of guys on this damn floating rock...why would you pick him?"

"C'mon, Lynette, just listen a sec -"

"No! You listen!" Lynette finally turned around, streaks of mascara running down her scowling face. She backed Lisa against the cold stone wall, jabbing her chest with a finger, "That man ruined my life, so don't you DARE stand there self-righteously and try to justify him! Damn it, Lisa, you're supposed to be my friend! End it...end it now!"

"Ha..I will not!" Lisa replied stubbornly, smacking Lynette's finger away, "Look, Charles told me everything that happened between you and him...you're being very dramatic, Lynette. For a girl for, ahem, "had her life ruined"...you're doing pretty well." Lynette recoiled in horror, backing away from Lisa, all the time keeping a stare on her.

"H-how...can you possibly say that?" Lynette wailed, the tears coming faster.

"Well...you got into a different school, right? And you got into university, so it's okay," Lisa replied, this time more calmly.

"...what?" Lynette asked, knitting her eyebrows, "...what the heck has that gotta do with anything?"

"Erm, 'cause he expelled you?" Lisa stated, "...isn't that why you hate him so much? I'm merely saying that 'cause you got into uni, it's not as if it was a major problem for you."

"...he told you that he...expelled me?" Lynette questioned harshly, "You think my reason for hating him...is 'cause he expelled me?" Lisa nodded once. And then, confusion struck her. Lynette began to laugh, manic ruthless heckles filling the bathroom, "Ha ha ha...oh typical Bergstrom, as devious as always...Lisa, oh Lisa you fool...ha ha ha!"

"What are you saying?" Lisa asked, a slight tremor in her voice as her blue eyes darted for Lynette's green ones.

"He lied to you!" Lynette screamed, jabbing Lisa's chest once more, "Yeah..your precious Charles is a liar! But don't feel too bad...he lied to me too!" In her manic state, Lynette took hold of Lisa's shirt, pulling her closer. Lisa's eyes widened in terror, "I'll tell you the REAL story...The Tale of Charles and Lynette..." Lisa felt the force of the wall once more as Lynette shoved her against it, then watched as Lynette turned away from her, facing the window again, "A year ago was when it all happened, I was seventeen, and studying at the high school in the next city over from here. 'Course, back then, I was a lot like you.."

"Like me?" Lisa questioned, feeling a sense of deja vu.

"Yeah, I was quiet, not exactly sociable, and my studies were the most important thing in the world to me," Lynette sniffed, "The little amount of friends I had ridiculed me because of it, but I didn't care, just stood with my geeky head held high. Of all the people I knew, there was only one person, one particular teacher, who loved my strive for learning as much as I did..."

"Mr. Bergstrom.." Lisa finished Lynette's sentence, looking to the floor.

"Exactly.." Lynette seethed, "He took the effort every day to fish me compliments, telling me how different I was, telling me that what I strived for a good thing...attractive even.."

_Just like he told me... _Lisa mused, narrowing her eyes.

"Well, as you can imagine, this thrilled me, and before too long, I had developed a crush on him," Lynette continued, "I thought of every excuse I could just spend that little bit more time with him; staying after class to clean erasers, showing up early, even spending my lunch-times with him. I had become infatuated, even though deep down, I assumed that nothing could happen between us two, being against the law and all. But..."

_But what...? _Lisa's eyes widened.

"...One particular day, when I had stayed behind to clean erasers, I decided to tell him. 'Well, what harm could it do?' I had thought, so I proceeded. I remember his dark, alluring eyes widening as I told him every detail, telling him how much of an amazing man I thought he was. I remember then taking a deep breathe in, expecting a huge lecture on how it was forbidden for him to engage into a relationship with me, assuming of course he liked me in return. But instead, he approached me, wrapped an arm around my waist...and kissed me."

"Bull sh-!" Lisa began to shout, before clamping a hand over her mouth. Never in her life had Lisa -almost- used such a profane word, and never had she had to. But with the absurd words that had just crawled out of Lynette's mouth, she couldn't help herself.

"Aww...jealous, are we?" Lynette teased, looking over her shoulder at Lisa, giving her sly smirk, " No, not bull. It's true. He kissed me, Lisa. And, it wasn't the only time..." At this point, Lynette had turned around fully to watch Lisa's reaction. The tiniest flicker of anger had arose on Lisa's brow, "It turned out that he liked me too, but had kept it under his hat for obvious reasons. Still, that didn't stop us. We started a relationship in secret; being totally oblivious to each other during school, but afterwards, sneaking back to his place...I won't give you the details.."

_No...no, surely not...? _Lisa pleaded in her head.

"Ha! You ain't even heard the worst of your precious Charles yet," Lynette exclaimed, "It was going great, but it wasn't to last. One lunch-time, I made the mistake of kissing him on the cheek, trying to be sneaky, when another teacher just randomly walked in. She was disgusted, and damn well made she knew it. She turned to Charles, and asked him 'Your job? Or a mere student? Your choice'. And you know what he chose?"

"No..no, Charles wouldn't.." Lisa spluttered, struggling to speak in-between Lynette's heckles, "He loved teaching..there's no way.."

"Oh, but he did!" Lynette laughed, "He chose me. Me! Ha, I'd never felt so wanted in my life. That was, until he turned around and changed his freaking mind.." Lynette's hands clenched into fists by her sides again, "He needed a new job, and when he finally got one, it didn't pay nearly as much as being a teacher did. His debts rose, as did his stress and anger. In his stressful state, he took it all out on me.. 'You...you, it's all your fault! This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't have come into the picture! I lost my job because of you! I had to give up what I love...just for you! Pfft, you're not worth all this debt and stress, not by a long shot..' And that was it...He left me...He left me!" With an almighty cry, Lynette resulted in punching the wall, centimetres away from Lisa's face, "And that changed me..everything I did reminded me of him. School. Studying. Achievement. All etched his face into the back of my mind. So, what could I do? Stop everything that ever reminded me of him. It wasn't exactly hard. Since that awful day, I began to despise learning, did everything I could to do badly...why I decided to come to uni, I have no clue!" She retracted her hand from the wall, examining a small cut on her knuckle, blood trickling down. She shook it off, then back Lisa against the wall once more, her face almost touching Lisa's, "So, THAT'S the real story...that's what really happened. Charles Bergstrom is not capable of loving anything other than knowledge, and THAT'S why I hate his freaking guts...so, what do you think of your 'God' now, Lisa...?"

Lisa's heart began to pound as Lynette smirked at her, giving her eyes of pure hate. The thought of Charles engaging in all that Lynette had told her made her sick. Having relations with a student. Choosing said student over his career. Letting his anger get the better of him. An incapability of love...Lisa squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head violently. This wasn't the man she had looked up to all those year ago. This wasn't the man who told her to be herself. This wasn't the man she inevitably managed to fall in love with. She couldn't believe it. She simply couldn't believe something that wasn't true.

"Lynette.." she spat, a mist of anger clouding over her face, "How...dare you..."

"How dare I what?" Lynette questioned, still smirking.

"How dare you make up those lies..." Lisa continued, pushing herself away from the wall and into Lynette, "Charles wouldn't do any of what you just said...ANY of it..."

"Okay, Lisa..calm down.." Lynette's tone suddenly changed to a concerned one, holding her hands up in defeat as Lisa began to approach her in an angered, manic state.

"You're just jealous..you made that all up to take him away..." Lisa seethed, "He will NOT be taken away from me again..."

"Lisa, you're being crazy.." Lynette pleaded, flinching as Lisa took hold of her arm.

"Get out.." Lisa ordered, dragging Lynette towards the door, "GET OUT!" With a strong shove, she threw Lynette to the floor, her weight against the concrete echoing through the corridor, then slammed the door shut, standing against it. With an exhausted sigh, Lisa held her head in her hands.

"I...I didn't just do that..." she assured herself, though Lynette's wails from beyond the door told her otherwise. Suddenly, a crippling pain came to Lisa's stomach, causing her to stumble to one of the cubicles and regurgitate into one of the toilets. Wearily, she slid down the cubicle wall and sat slumped on the floor. Her head was pounding, the previous events bouncing around in her skull. Maybe Lynette was right. Hopefully Lynette was wrong. Maybe both Charles and Lynette were wrong, and hiding yet another secret.

_Well...the only thing I can do is ask..._ Lisa decided.

With the card in one hand, and her mobile in the other, she nervously began to punch in Charles' number.


	8. Chapter Eight: All Is Revealed

Chapter Eight: All Is Revealed

In her confused and angered state, an unusual burst of adrenaline had pulsated through Lisa, triggered by all that Lynette had laid unto her. So, after her clammy hands had managed to punch in the numbers, and after managing to stutter "M-my apartment...as soon as you can.." to Charles, Lisa had burst through the doors and began to run full throttle to Ratcliffe's. Flat-footed, and on the verge of tears, but still she ran, skidding around corners and nearly crashing into people. She didn't care; those minor problems didn't matter to her, all she wanted was some truth. With every thud of her foot, Lynette's words echoed in her mind.

_Typical Bergstrom, as devious as always... _Lisa slammed open the door the Ratcliffes's.. _Your precious Charles is a liar! ... _she burst her way through a group of people blocking the lobby.. _It's true. He kissed me, Lisa.. _she rushed up the stairs, her angry steps stomping on each stair.. _Oh, but he did! He chose me.. _with an almighty push, her apartment door swung open, and Lisa rushed into it, the door slamming behind her.. _Charles Bergstrom is not capable of loving anything other than knowledge.. _she then began to pace her room, trying desperately to shoo away Lynette's heckles.. _So, what do you think of your 'God' now, Lisa...?_

"Shut up! Just..shut up, Lynette!" Lisa screeched, slumping onto her bed and punching the mattress, channeling her anger away. Hot tears began to brim, yet she held them back. If she was going to confront Charles, she couldn't present herself as a weak little girl. She had to be the strong, independent woman he taught her to be all those years ago. She held her breath. Three loud knocks shook the door.

"Lisa?" the familiar, husky voice caused goose-bumps to erupt across Lisa's skin, "Lisa, it's Charles..is everything alright?" She managed to lift herself off the bed, her legs trembling like a new-born horse. Taking a sharp breath in, she walked over to the door, exhaling deeply as she slowly turned to handle.

"Charles.." Lisa stated, almost losing her voice at the sight of Charles leaning against the door frame. She analysed the expressions on his face; creases of worry, a concerned brow, and it broke her. Surely, the man stood in front of her, the very man who served as her role-model, the very man who seemed so genuine and harmless, couldn't have been the same man in Lynette's story? Oh, and today of all days, he would look considerably more handsome than he already did, wouldn't he? Playing with Lisa's emotions after they had been challenged enough as they were. As the memories of her eight year old self rushed through her tired mind, a weak smile came to her lips.

_She lied...of course she lied..._

"Lisa, what's wrong?" Charles' concerned voice brought Lisa back to reality, "You sounded absolutely distraught on the phone, please, what's happened? What can I-"

"I'm fine...absolutely fine, heh heh.." Lisa replied, her voice quavering and unstable, with a slight hint of relief. Charles raised an eyebrow as he entered Lisa's apartment, a sense of skepticism as she closed the door with shaky hands.

"Ha ha, oh please, Lisa," Charles chuckled, folding his arms, "You're a genius in many ways, but of masking your emotions, you truly aren't. What's happened?"

"It was a prank! A mere prank, it's got to be! Heh heh, erm...I'll explain, sit!" Lisa gestured for Charles to sit on the bed, whilst she remained standing, although her fidgeting meant for her feet constantly pacing about, "You know, Lynette, right? 'Course you do, you expelled her...heh heh.."

"Hmm..?" Charles mused, hands gripping the duvet out of Lisa's line of view.

"Well, Lynette...she told me this horrible lie about you! Yeah..about when you used to teach her..and how she had a crush on you...which led to you kissing her, which is absolutely mental I know! Heh heh, yeah.."

"Uh-huh.." Charles began fiddling with his collar.

"..then she told me that you had a secret affair with her! That you used to sneak around to see each other! Absurd, ha ha ha! Then apparently you got caught by another teacher..."

"..I see.." Charles awkwardly ran a hand through his curly locks.

"...and that you actually chose her over your career? This girl could write best-sellers, I swear! Then apparently you left her 'cause she weren't worth the trouble...honestly... anyway, she went on to say some heartless things, which I won't repeat..."

"Oh..right.." A visible layer of sweat had made itself present on Charles' brow, which he was quick to wipe away.

"But anyway! It doesn't matter, she obviously made all that up as a grudge, a mere grudge.." Lisa released a sigh of relief, happy to get all of her chest. Through out her rant she hadn't really been focusing on Charles, but instead had engaged in over-the-top arm movements and walking around her apartment randomly. But now she had stood still and awaited Charles' response, she saw now the nervous body language, the awkwardness of his features, "Heh heh...erm, I thought you'd be more amused be this..absolute nonsense.." Her weak smile began to fade as Charles failed to respond, "Erm.. it IS complete nonsense...isn't it...? ...she WAS making it up...right...?"

"Oh, Lisa..." Charles finally muttered, burying his head in his hands. At those two words, at the harsh reality, Lisa's heart teetered over the edge and smashed into millions of jagged shards, cutting and wounding her from the inside. Her weak frame stumbled backwards, crashing into the desk behind her. She leant against it for support, her tear glistened eyes looking to Charles.

"It's true..?" Lisa attempted to ask, choking on her words, "You..and Lynette..? You...you actually..you're telling me you actually..."

"Please, Lisa, I have to explain.." Charles shot up off the bed in attempts to calm Lisa down, but as a burst of anger surged through her frame, he was greeted by the sudden force of Lisa's hand, aggressively slapping his cheek.

"You LIED to me!" Lisa spat, before recoiling in shock, hands clamping over her mouth. A strong sense of regret rattled her. Her anger had once again gotten the stronger hand, but to gain some perspective, Lisa knew she had to keep a steady head. Charles certainly wasn't going to reveal all whilst she's hitting him and shouting at him. She rushed over to Charles, who had landed on the bed again after the impact, "I-I'm sorry...I really didn't mean to do that.."

"Believe me, Lisa, I truly deserve it," Charles sighed, his fingers tracing his now throbbing cheek.

"You lied to me.." Lisa said again, more calmly as she straightened up, "You...you did all that with Lynette..then lied about it...

"Please, you must know that I lied because-"

"You didn't have the courtesy to tell me all this.." she continued, not giving Charles a chance to finish, "I feel betrayed...you..you betrayed me.."

"There's a reason I didn't tell you, please just-"

"How could you? With a student..with someone so young..."

"I think you're forgetting-"

"Yes, I know I'm the same age as her! But..oh..I don't know...Is that why you wanted to be with me? So I could be another Lynette? Another inspiring student you could just mess about with? Is that am I to you?" At her last statement, Lisa crumbled, the tears began to roll down her face, hot angry tears. Charles stood up and pulled Lisa into a tight embrace, his fingers lightly stroking her hair. Lisa didn't resist Charles' embrace, arms slowly wrapping around him. She thought back to the night of their date, when Charles had walked her home through the night. She remembered how safe she felt with Charles by her side, how she knew nothing could happen to her. But now as she stood in his arms, the teetering feeling of being either soothed or crushed by him hovered over her head. Could she ever truly feel safe with him again?

"Lisa, sweetheart, please sit," Charles soothed, slowly releasing her, "I'll tell you everything," As Lisa sat upon her bed, Charles knelt in front of her, holding her hands, "Me and Lynette, we did enter into a relationship."

"So, did you love her?" Lisa questioned.

"Yes..yes, I did love her," Charles replied, "But part of me always knew that it was a mistake...you wouldn't believe how much I regret doing what I did. I loved Lynette, I thought I loved her enough to give up teaching. Before I could realise my mistake, it was too late. Because of that...I can never teach again. This is why I didn't tell you. I didn't want you to see me as I really am, a weak man who gave up his dreams and ambitions for something that was never meant to be. I just wanted to leave it all behind, start anew, begin my life over again."

"Oh.." Lisa mused, her tears finally drying.

"When I asked to see you again, it wasn't so you could be another Lynette," Charles assured, "I asked you out because I'm attracted to you, because you're a lovely young woman with a brilliant mind. I...I love you, Lisa." Before Lisa could react, Charles leant up and kissed her. Lisa sat wide-eyed.

_He...loves me? Can this be true...?_

"Oh..I, I see," Lisa stated when Charles pulled away, "But..I can't just forget the past, I mean I see Lynette everyday, she'll just remind me of everything that happened between you. And after all this...are you seriously expecting me just to love you back straight away? I mean, I don't even know if I'll ever trust you again..."

"I understand, Lisa, and I wouldn't blame you if you never wanted to see me again," Charles replied, "But I have a proposition for you.." Charles then rifled through his jacket pocket and produced two train tickets, "These tickets offer a one-way ride to Capital City. When I said I wanted to start anew, I meant it. I'm moving to the Capital to begin my new life, without the memories from the past."

"Uh-huh.." Lisa nodded, raising an eyebrow.

"I also want you to be a part of it," Charles explained, his dark eyes becoming stern, "I want to spend my life with you, but I can't do that whilst you're still prepared to live here. So..I want you to come with me."

"What?" Lisa exclaimed, sitting bolt upright, "What do you mean 'come with you'? I..I have commitments here...I can't just go like that!"

"I know it sounds absurd, but I'm being serious," Charles assured, "I'm going to the Capital, and would love nothing more than for you to come with me."

"But..I..oh gosh...I don't know..." Lisa began to ramble.

"I'm not expecting you to know straight away. You have some time, don't worry," Charles stood up, still holding onto Lisa's hands, "The train leaves at noon tomorrow. You have then to decide. If you come, it means you want to come with me. If you don't...well, I'll assume your answer is a no." Charles leant to kiss Lisa on the forehead before turning and walking out of the apartment. Stiff and rigid, Lisa stood up and walked over to the door, closing it slowly, then leant her head against it.

_Running away to the Capital...could I really do it?_

A long, drawn sigh escaped her lips. When she moved out of her Springfield home to gain some independence, Lisa never imagined such complications would get in the way. All she ever wanted was to make something of herself, make use of the brilliant mind she appreciated so much, making a living and live her life. And now the only man she has ever looked up to decides to show up and announce that he loves her.

"I..I love him.." Lisa whispered, "Despite everything...I love him.."

_But what is the right thing to do?_

Lisa's hands dropped to her sides, retrieving Charles' note from her pocket. She unfolded it and read it, like she'd done many times before. You Are Lisa Simpson. But who was Lisa Simpson? Was she the girl who stayed true to her ambitions? The girl that worked hard when she needed to, and get far in her life? Or was she the girl who was love-struck? The girl was halted everything for the man she loved?

_Follow my head...or follow my heart?_

Lisa blinked once.

_Stay at university...or go with Charles?_

Lisa eyes darted to the clock. The seconds were ticking away. She needed to make the decision, the decision of her life.


	9. Chapter Nine: The Decision

Chapter Nine: The Decision

The alarm clock blared through the apartment, its soft jingle now a hefty fog horn in Lisa's sleep deprived state. Her blood shot eyes strained as she turned her head to look at the clock. Nine o'clock.

_Three hours to go..._

After the events of the previous day; two sides of the same sick story, her emotions mauled and toyed with, and a proposition with two life-changing outcomes, Lisa never expected to be able to sleep soundly in the night. Tossing and turning frantically between the sheets, pacing about the room, desperately searching for the right answer. But now the morning had come, and all she had achieved were the symptoms of a chronic insomniac. The dark circles around her eyes, complexion pale and wasted, head pounding. She dragged her strangely wide-awake self out of bed, grimacing as she caught glimpse of herself in the mirror.

_Great, I have to meet the potential man of my future like this..._

Lisa quickly threw on some clothes and ran a brush through her hair before quickly grabbing a jacket and heading outside, slamming the door behind her.

_Urgh, need to get out of here..._

She rushed out of the apartment, out of Ratcliffe's, eager to get away from the stuffy, disappointing atmosphere. How she had hoped the answer would suddenly come to her during the night, how she had hoped that she'd wake up knowing what she was going to say to Charles. Yet the time was slowly disappearing, and not a hint of the right answer had appeared to her. Both outcomes so very much appealed to her. Lisa would have loved nothing more than to have attended university, getting far with her studies, and then go home to Charles, a man she knew would treat her with the respect that she deserved. But however hard she wished for that future, she knew she could never have that.

_Charles or university..._

As she walked, Lisa's eyes glazed over, not taking in the scenery around her. She wasn't planning on heading anywhere specific, she was just letting her feet lead her away.

_University or Charles..._

The jingle of a door opening brought Lisa back to reality. She had stumbled upon a place she immediately recognised; the cafe. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee enticed her, taking a minute just to enjoy it. Deciding that it wouldn't dent much of her remaining time, Lisa entered the cafe, eager to get some caffeine inside her. She walked boldly towards the counter, drumming her fingers against it impatiently as she waited to be served. The usual young man approached her.

"Hello there," he smiled.

"Mocha please," Lisa stated flatly, "With cr-"

"Cream instead of milk, I know," the young man nodded, "You come here all the time with the same order, I guess I've memorised it." He walked away to prepare it, leaving Lisa to observe the cafe. She'd never visited the cafe this early during the day before, it was unusually quiet than to what she was used to. Seats and booth that were usually filled to the brim were empty. Masses of students were replaced with solitary people dotted about. When her mocha finally arrived, she quickly whisked it up and sat down at her usual booth near the window. Instead of savouring the flavours, Lisa drank her mocha in one big gulp, desperate for the caffeine to flow through her system. She sank down into her seat, her mind returning to the predicament she still had to face.

_C'mon...think Lisa, surely the answer will rise soon.._

Her mind wandered, remembering all the times she had come here. A small smile came to her lips. All the times she had blown Lynette and her friends off just to come here and study. All the times she had come to quietly read over assignments over a steaming beverage. The cafe had become a second learning facility for Lisa, a place away from the unappreciative students at university.

_Hmm, maybe university is the answer..._

Then she remembered her first visit to the cafe. Sitting with a mocha and reading her first assignment. And who did she bump into? Charles, of course. The place where they were reunited, relived their past together, agreeing to meet again. Lisa sighed. If she had never come to this cafe, then that would have never happened. Charles wouldn't have been back in her life.

_University was a given, meeting Charles again was mere chance...surely I can't let that chance go...?_

The cafe reminded Lisa of university. It also reminded her of Charles. She knew one of them had to over-ride the other. She just had to dig deeper. She leant her elbows on the table, kneeling her head on her knuckles, letting her eyes slide shut. The memories from her run in with Charles entered her mind, particular things he had said to her...

_Anyway, as I was saying, how is my favourite student doing?...the other students...they weren't like you, Lisa...they didn't appreciate knowledge like you do..._

Her blue eyes suddenly snapped open, straightening up in her seat. Lisa finally knew, the answer had finally come to her. Her gaze slid down to her watch.

"Eleven...?" Lisa exclaimed, "Seriously, where did THAT go?" The train was leaving in an hour. It would take Lisa roughly half an hour to get to the train station, more than enough time to reveal all to Charles. She grabbed her jacket and rushed out of the cafe, making her way to the train station.

-XxX-

Lisa approached the train station, out of breath and wracked with nerves. As she walked through to the platform, she observed around her. The resemblance was uncanny, how alike this train station was to the station way back when. Her eight year old self running though the station flashed before her eyes. The train to Capital City pulled up as she approached the platform. Charles was stood on the edge of the platform, his many bags of luggage surrounding him. Lisa swallowed down her nerves, released a sigh, then walked over to him.

"Charles.." she spoke softly. At the sound of her voice, Charles suddenly whisked around to see her. His face lit up at her presence.

"Oh, Lisa, thank goodness you came!" Charles exclaimed, tightly embracing her. Lisa's arms stayed firmly by her side, "Looks like the train came a bit early..shall we?" Charles began picking up his bags, only to stop at Lisa's lack of doing so, "Lisa..where is your luggage?"

"Charles.." she said again, sadness clouding over her face, "I'm not coming. I'm staying here. I only came because you at least deserve an explanation for my decision..."

"...I see.." Charles replied, his eyes dropping to the floor.

"You truly are an amazing, wonderful man," Lisa began, "But I can't love a man who can give up his beliefs and ambitions as easily as you did. You were a teacher, and you were happy, but you threw all that away for a relationship which you didn't stay engaged in. The man I fell in love with yearned for knowledge and teaching, and you can never give me that again.."

"Th-that's understandable.." Charles stated, dark eyes starting to glisten.

"If I go with you, I'd wouldn't be the girl you fell in love with either," Lisa continued.

"What do you mean?" Charles questioned, "Of course you would be, nothing would change."

"Yes it would.." Lisa argued, her own eyes starting to brim, "The Lisa Simpson you fell in love with was your favourite student, a girl who appreciated and loved knowledge, a girl who thought the most important thing was learning. So, if I pick you instead of university, than that wouldn't be right. That wouldn't be me..and I don't think I could ever forgive myself if I did that.."

"Yes..of course.." Charles nodded, "I certainly wouldn't want you to resent yourself for making the same mistake I did. But Lisa...can you perhaps promise me something?"

"Erm, I'll try," Lisa nodded. Charles placed his hands on her shoulders, looking deep into her brimming blue orbs.

"Make something of yourself," Charles continued, "Concentrate on your studies, pass with flying colours, strive to be the ambitious woman you've dedicated yourself to be. And never, ever stop believing in yourself."

"Don't worry, I won't," Lisa smiled, letting a rogue tear roll down her cheek. The whistle signalising the trains departure blew through the platform.

"Okay..I've got to go.." Charles said sadly. He have Lisa a lingering kiss on the cheek before picking up his bags, "Goodbye..Lisa Simpson.."

"Goodbye, Charles Bergstrom.." Lisa whispered, her voice becoming trapped in her throat. She watched as he boarded the train, observing as he took a seat by the window. The wheels began to turn, and the train slowly departed from the station. Flooding with emotion, tears breaking free, Lisa began running along the train.

"I'll never forget you!" she called out as the train pulled faster away. Lisa stopped at the platform edge, watching the train disappear from view. Charles was gone. That chapter in Lisa's life was finished with. Never would she have to deal with these predicaments again. A happy, relieved sigh escaped her lips. Lisa could finally begin to live her independent, adult life. For the final time, Lisa took the note out of her pocket, unfolded it and read its words.

You are Lisa Simpson.

It took her ten years, but she finally knew who she was. She was Lisa Simpson, the student, the ambitious one, the learner.

"Thank you, Charles.." she whispered. She scrunched up the note in her fist, threw it in a near-by bin, then walked out of the train station...

_Later that day..._

As the time neared three o'clock, Lisa lingered outside the university doors, perched on the stone steps. She impatiently tapped her foot against the stone.

_Need to make amends..._

The bell suddenly rang, and the huge doors burst open, a wave of students piling their way out of the building. The familiar sound of stilettos clomping on the ground came to Lisa's ears, so she stood up abruptly. Lynette appeared through the door way, looking somewhat edgy and alert. Lisa eyed up the bandage around her hand, the stitches across her forehead.

_...Did I really do that to her..?_

"Lynette," Lisa finally spoke, making Lynette flinch where she stood. Lynette's emerald eyes flickered with fear.

"Lisa.." she replied, her voice stern, "What do you want?"

"I really need to talk to you," Lisa explained apathetically.

"Yeah? ..well, I've got nothing to say to you.." Lynette spat, shoving Lisa in the shoulder as she barged past her.

"Lynette, please," Lisa urged, quickly grabbing hold of her wrist, "I've ended it with Charles." Lynette spun 'round, eyes wide.

"..You have?" she questioned.

"Yes," Lisa nodded, "He revealed everything to me. Lynette...I'm so sorry, I should have believed you..I was blinded..I didn't know what to believe.."

"No..Lisa, it's fine," Lynette assured, a weak smile coming to her bright red lips, "What did you tell him?"

"That I couldn't love a man who gave up on his career that easily.." Lisa replied. Her eyes darted back to the injuries, "Gosh Lynette...I'm sorry, I honestly need mean for them to happen, my anger got the better of me."

"Meh, don't worry about it," Lynette answered, nodding to the bandages, "Wounds heal..some just heal slower than others.." Guilt clouded over Lisa's face.

"I wanna make it up to you," Lisa stated, "Wanna maybe go out later..party, or something?" The idea sounded absurd to Lisa, but it was for Lynette's sake, not hers.

"Actually...I was thinking of going for some coffee," Lynette smiled, linking arms with Lisa, "And we could look through our next assignment..maybe?" Lisa stared at her, slightly taken aback, before cracking into a smile herself.

"I would love that," she replied happily. Arm in arm, Lisa and Lynette made their way to the cafe, giggling together, and forgetting their mistakes of the past...

THE END


End file.
